A long-held secret, and a beautiful heart hoping to be understood. Cressida Tarbet loves her job at an animal rescue centre, even if it means she’s resigned herself to scrimping to make ends meet – a lifestyle far removed from her best friend Ivo’s, in his ancestral gatehouse stuffed with antiques and art.
But although their upbringings were different, Ivo has held Cress’s heart ever since she clapped eyes on him at university. The trouble is – she has never told him. So, when a mystery and a baffling crime throw Cress and Ivo together, she can’t help but wonder if fate is telling her something.
As the puzzle takes them from beautiful Yorkshire, to the stunning Isle of Wight, the pair get closer. Ivo begins to understand the cause of Cress’s risk-aversion and she puts her irritation at his brilliant mind to one side as she starts to appreciate Ivo’s uniqueness. But then the unthinkable happens and their worlds are turned upside down, and Cress has to wonder if fate was calling after all…
Uplifting and unforgettable, settle back to enjoy this one-of-a-kind novel about falling in love with a one-of-a-kind man.
We are conditioned from a fairly early age, not to judge a book by its cover, but to be honest I found myself completely drawn in by the beautiful, bright cover of this latest book by Jane Lovering. Having read the précis for the book, it really did sound intriguingly unlike any book I had read before. Cress and Ivo certainly sounded like a unique (in a fairly hilarious way!) pair and I for one couldn’t wait to read more about their peregrinations together, with poor Cress clearly adoring Ivo, just wanting him to see her as a desirable woman for once! Ivo on the other hand does initially seem fairly self absorbed, and probably wouldn’t notice, whatever Cress did! What I most certainly noticed, was what an animal lover Cress was, although she did make me think of myself, when she talked about remembers of the public ‘rescuing’ wildlife that didn’t really need rescuing! (Mental note to self (from experience!) that there’s no need to phone the RSPCA when a Swan’s legs look to be at a ‘funny’ angle! I do like a bit of humour in my reading, and on my first evening reading with this book, the concept of ‘decanting’ a squirrel, regardless of the direction, kept on giving me the giggles, such that I don’t think that I will ever be able to look a squirrel in the eye, whilst keeping a straight face, ever again! Cress doesn’t really want anything to do with Ivo’s seemingly madcap escapades, but he has his trump card (Cress’s love of animals) and is never afraid of playing that card, in order to get what he wants!
As our heroes embark on their sleuthing together, a one of a kind trip, we can hope for lots of laughs along the way, with perhaps a hint of romance! Of one thing there can be no doubt – as Ivo states,’There are advantages to being posh! Can the intrepid duo find out who their mystery man was, and can they discover the provenance of his diminutive red haired companion? Will a trip to the Isle of Wight provide any answers? Surely this ‘made for each other’ pair can’t possibly run into any trouble on the south coast?
You will of course need to read this enchanting book for yourself, in order to find out!
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/Oneofakindsocial
Eatwell Reads-Well 